Federal Register: December 29, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 250)
DOCID: FR Doc 06-9917
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
CFR Citation: 50 CFR Part 679
Docket ID: [Docket No. 060424108-6204-02; I.D. 121906B]
NOTICE: RULES
ACTION: Fishery conservation and management:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notification of standard prices and fee percentage.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; North Pacific Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Cost Recovery Program
DATES: Effective December 29, 2006.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY:
NMFS publishes IFQ standard prices for the individual fishing quota (IFQ) cost recovery program in the halibut and sablefish fisheries of the North Pacific. This action is intended to provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2006 standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2007.
SUMMARY:
Alaska; fisheries of Exclusive Economic Zone—; North Pacific halibut and sablefish,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Background
NMFS Alaska Region administers the halibut and sablefish IFQ programs in the North Pacific. The IFQ programs are limited access systems authorized by section 303(b) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MagnusonStevens Act) and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. Fishing under the IFQ programs began in March 1995. Regulations implementing the IFQ program are set forth at 50 CFR part 679.
In 1996, the MagnusonStevens Act was amended (by Public Law 104 297) to, among other things, require the Secretary of Commerce to ``collect a fee to recover the actual costs directly related to the management and enforcement of any . . . individual fishing quota program'' (section 304(d)(2)(A)). Section 304(d)(2) of the Magnuson Stevens Act specifies an upper limit on these fees, when the fees must be collected, and where the fees must be deposited. Section 303(d)(4) allows NMFS to reserve up to 25 percent of the fees collected for use in an IFQ loan program to aid in financing the purchase of IFQ or quota share (QS) by entrylevel and smallvessel fishermen.
On March 20, 2000, NMFS published regulations implementing the IFQ cost recovery program (65 FR 14919), which are set forth at Sec. 679.45. Under the regulations, an IFQ permit holder incurs a cost recovery fee liability for every pound of IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish that is landed on his or her IFQ permit(s). The IFQ permit holder is responsible for selfcollecting the fee liability for all IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings on his or her permit(s). The IFQ permit holder is also responsible for submitting a fee liability payment to NMFS on or before the due date of January 31 following the year in which the IFQ landings were made. The dollar amount of the fee due is determined by multiplying the annual IFQ fee percentage (3 percent or less) by the exvessel value of each IFQ landing made on a permit and summing the totals of each permit (if more than one).
Standard Prices
The fee liability is based on the sum of all payments of monetary worth made to fishermen for the sale of the fish during the year. This includes any retropayments (e.g., bonuses, delayed partial payments, postseason payments) made to the IFQ permit holder for previously landed IFQ halibut or sablefish.
For purposes of calculating IFQ cost recovery fees, NMFS distinguishes between two types of exvessel value: ``actual'' and ``standard.'' ``Actual'' exvessel value is the amount of all compensation, monetary or nonmonetary, that an IFQ permit holder received as payment for his or her IFQ fish sold. ``Standard'' ex vessel value is the default value on which to base fee liability calculations. However, IFQ permit holders have the option of using actual exvessel value if they can satisfactorily document them.
Regulations at Sec. 679.45(c)(2)(i) require the Regional Administrator to publish IFQ standard prices during the last quarter of each calendar year. These standard prices are used, along with estimates of IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings, to calculate standard values. The standard prices are described in U.S. dollars per IFQ equivalent pound for IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings made during the year. IFQ equivalent pound(s) is the weight (in pounds), for an IFQ landing calculated as the round weight for sablefish and headed and gutted net weight for halibut. NMFS calculates the standard prices to closely reflect the variations in the actual exvessel values of IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings by month and port or portgroup. The standard prices for IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish are listed in the following tables. Data from ports are combined as necessary to protect confidentiality.
Fee Percentage
Section 304(d)(2)(B) of the MagnusonStevens Act provides for a maximum fee of 3 percent of the exvessel value of fish harvested under an IFQ Program. NMFS annually sets a fee percentage for sablefish and halibut IFQ holders that is based on the actual annual costs associated with certain management and enforcement functions as well as the standard exvessel value of the catch subject to the IFQ fee for the current year. The method used by NMFS to calculate the IFQ fee percentage is described at Sec. 679.45(d)(2)(ii).
Regulations at Sec. 679.45(d) require NMFS to publish the IFQ fee
percentage for the halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries in the Federal Register during
[[Page 78384]]
or before the last quarter of each year. For the 2006 sablefish and
halibut IFQ fishing season, IFQ permit holders are to use a fee
liability percentage of 1.0 percent to calculate his or her fee for
landed IFQ in pounds. The IFQ permit holder is responsible for
submitting the fee liability payment to NMFS on or before January 31, 2007.
REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD EXVESSEL PRICES BY LANDING LOCATION FOR 2006 IFQ SEASON
HALIBUT STANDARD SABLEFISH
LANDING LOCATION PERIOD ENDING EX VESSEL PRICE STANDARD EX
($) VESSEL PRICE ($) CORDOVA February 28
March 31 3.36
April 30 3.16 2.33 May 31 3.42
June 30 3.50 2.59
July 31
August 31 4.08
September 30 4.20
October 31 4.20
November 30 4.20
======================================================================== DUTCH HARBOR February 28
March 31
April 30
May 31
June 30 3.53
July 31 3.38 2.71
August 31 3.81
September 30
October 31
November 30
======================================================================== HOMER February 28
March 31
April 30
May 31 3.64
June 30 3.64
July 31 4.03
August 31 4.06
September 30 4.17
October 31 4.17
November 30 4.17
======================================================================== KETCHIKAN February 28
March 31
April 30
May 31
June 30 3.82
[[Page 78385]]
July 31
August 31
September 30
October 31
November 30
========================================================================
KODIAK February 28 3.40 2.31
March 31 3.40 2.31
April 30 3.18 2.32
May 31 3.37 2.37
June 30 3.47 2.48
July 31 3.73 2.86
August 31 3.89 2.52
September 30 4.18 2.68
October 31 4.18 2.68
November 30 4.18 2.68
======================================================================== PETERSBURG February 28
March 31 3.45
April 30 3.28
May 31 3.49
June 30 3.55
July 31 3.76
August 31 4.01
September 30
October 31
November 30
========================================================================
SEWARD February 28 3.57 2.20
March 31 3.57 2.20
April 30
May 31
June 30
July 31
August 31 4.10
September 30
October 31
November 30
========================================================================
SITKA February 28 3.57 2.37
[[Page 78386]]
March 31 3.57 2.37
April 30 3.19 2.36
May 31 3.59 2.51
June 30 3.72 2.64
July 31 3.93 2.92
August 31 4.02 2.64
September 30 4.13 2.73
October 31 4.13 2.73
November 30 4.13 2.73
======================================================================== YAKUTAT February 28
March 31
April 30 3.30
May 31 3.29
June 30
July 31
August 31
September 30
October 31
November 30
REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD EXVESSEL PRICES BY PORT GROUP FOR 2006 IFQ SEASON
HALIBUT STANDARD SABLEFISH
PORT GROUP PERIOD ENDING EX VESSEL PRICE STANDARD EX
($) VESSEL PRICE ($) BERING SEA\1\ February 28
March 31
April 30 2.24
May 31 3.28 2.20
June 30 3.46 2.34
July 31 3.48 2.38
August 31 3.78 2.21
September 30 3.86 2.26
October 31 3.86 2.26
November 30 3.86 2.26
========================================================================
CENTRAL GULF\2\ February 28 3.49 2.28
March 31 3.49 2.28
April 30 3.20 2.45
[[Page 78387]]
May 31 3.42 2.44
June 30 3.47 2.53
July 31 3.81 2.58
August 31 3.97 2.52
September 30 4.10 2.51
October 31 4.10 2.51
November 30 4.10 2.51
========================================================================
SOUTHEAST\3\ February 28 3.54 2.34
March 31 3.54 2.34
April 30 3.34 2.38
May 31 3.54 2.38
June 30 3.68 2.63
July 31 3.77 2.88
August 31 4.01 2.67
September 30 4.18 2.62
October 31 4.18 2.62
November 30 4.18 2.62
========================================================================
ALL\4\ February 28 3.50 2.32
March 31 3.50 2.32
April 30 3.26 2.41
May 31 3.45 2.40
June 30 3.54 2.53
July 31 3.71 2.58
August 31 3.92 2.50
September 30 4.06 2.51
October 31 4.06 2.51
November 30 4.06 2.51
\1\Landing locations Within Port Group Bering Sea: Adak, Akutan,
Akutan Bay, Atka, Bristol Bay, Chefornak, Dillingham, Captains Bay,
Dutch Harbor, Egegik, Ikatan Bay, Hooper Bay, King Cove, King Salmon,
Kipnuk, Mekoryuk, Naknek, Nome, Quinhagak, Savoonga, St. George, St.
Lawrence, St. Paul, Togiak, Toksook Bay, Tununak, Beaver Inlet, Ugadaga Bay, Unalaska
\2\Landing Locations Within Port Group Central Gulf of Alaska: Anchor
Point, Anchorage, Alitak, Chignik, Cordova, Eagle River, False Pass,
West Anchor Cove, Girdwood, Chinitna Bay, Halibut Cove, Homer,
Kasilof, Kenai, Kenai River, Kodiak, Port Bailey, Nikiski, Ninilchik,
Old Harbor, Palmer, Sand Point, Seldovia, Resurrection Bay, Seward, Valdez, Whittier
\3\Landing Locations Within Port Group Southeast Alaska: Angoon,
Baranof Warm Springs, Craig, Edna Bay, Elfin Cove, Excursion Inlet,
Gustavus, Haines, Hollis, Hoonah, Hyder, Auke Bay, Douglas, Tee
Harbor, Juneau, Kake, Ketchikan, Klawock, Metlakatla, Pelican,
Petersburg, Portage Bay, Port Alexander, Port Graham, Port Protection,
Point Baker, Sitka, Skagway, Tenakee Springs, Thorne Bay, Wrangell, Yakutat
\4\Landing Locations Within Port Group All: For Alaska: All landing
locations included in 1, 2, and 3. For California: Eureka, Fort Bragg,
Other California. For Oregon: Astoria, Aurora, Lincoln City, Newport,
Warrenton, Other Oregon. For Washington: Anacortes, Bellevue,
Bellingham, Nagai Island, Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls, Ilwaco, La
Conner, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Port Townsend, Rainier, Fox
Island, Mercer Island, Seattle, Standwood, Other Washington. For
Canada: Port Hardy, Port Edward, Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Haines Junction, Other Canada
[[Page 78388]]
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 21, 2006.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 069917 Filed 122206; 2:59 pm]
BILLING CODE 351022S
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Troie Zuniga, Fee Coordinator, 907- 5867231.